Toddler Modeling - A True Story

No doubt about it, toddler modeling is fun, and an exciting way to put money in the bank for your youngster. All roses have their thorns, however, so be cautious and educate yourself before jumping in.

A few years ago, I was shopping with my girls in a department store. A well-dressed young man approached my youngest daughter, Myra, and began talking to her. Concerned, I hustled over to see what was going on, and heard him telling Myra that he worked with a toddler modeling firm, and was looking for models. He told her that she was a beautiful child and asked her, did she want to be a star?

At this point he introduced himself to me and showed me a business card with the name of a toddler modeling talent search company on it as well as his name. He proceeded to tell me that he was looking for models for his company, and that weekend they were scheduling interviews and photography sessions with potential models in a city about 2 hours away. He gushed over how lovely Myra was, and what a perfect model she would make.

I was skeptical, a reaction he appeared to be expecting, and he wrote a time and location on his
business card. As he handed it to me, he said, "We'll save this time slot for Myra, and we look forward to seeing you this weekend!"

After the talent scout left us, my older daughter grabbed my hands excitedly and begged me to take Myra to this toddler modeling appointment. She was sure Myra would be famous by the end of the week. I had heard about toddler modeling from a friend whose son had been making commercials since he was 6 months old. Although I wasn't thrilled about my daughter working as a model, I called my friend to discuss the unusual encounter we had with the talent scout.

My friend laughed and warned me not to fall for this scam. She told me about the toddler modeling agency she and her son were working with, and emphasized that legitimate agencies don't use talent scouts. "They don't even advertise," she said. "And there are no fees to pay, for registration or photos or anything. My agency takes a commission whenever my son works; that's how they make money." I was very glad that I had someone to turn to for reliable facts about toddler modeling.